Francophone groups discuss nominations for French literary Goncourt Prize

AMMAN — French Ambassador to Jordan David Bertolotti hosted three local francophone groups on Thursday to discuss nominations for the Goncourt Prize, the best known and most prestigious of the “big six” French literary awards.

The prize is awarded annually in December by the Académie Goncourt to the author of “the best and most imaginative prose work of the year”.

The Association of Teachers of French, Shams-Jordanie and the Thursday Club selected “Petit pays” by Gaël Faye as their favourite from the 16-book shortlist for the prize. The book explores the anguish and the questions of a child caught up in a history (the massacres of Rwanda) that makes him mature faster than he should.